I realized something today that I had not thought of when I decided to publish Oliver's Hunger Dragon. I realized how lucky I was to find a partner publisher to work with me. Did I say partner publisher? Yep. You heard me right. Let me explain.
Yesterday, I received a rejection of sorts for a review because Oliver's Hunger Dragon didn't meet a certain standard that few "self-published" books meet. That got me started thinking. What is wrong with self-published books? I have numerous ones on my shelf and downloaded in my Nook, and I have only been disappointed by a few. For the most part, each book has been well written, and thoroughly enjoyed. Now, I know there has been a stigma attached to self-published books for a long, long time. Frankly, that line of thought needs to change, and I am happy to say it is--gradually, anyway.
Today, I opened my latest issue of Writer's Digest and found an article on Partner Publishing. The article defines it as "a publishing option that blends the creative control of self-pub with the quality, curation and distribution of the traditional path". Or, simply put, it is self-publishing with a company that offers editorial support, design, marketing, and collaboration so the author can publish a quality book while controlling the creativeness.
The article points out that a partner publisher will also help the author develop a crowdfunding effort to raise the money to create the book he/she wants.
Well while my publisher is not listed as one of the "most prominent players in this new publishing arena", it is one of the best in my opinion. I was lucky to have found them (Thank you Beth!).
I tried to go the traditional way at first, but by the third rejection that listed the reason for not publishing my PB as "not a big enough audience", I was disgusted. How can almost 16 million kids going to bed hungry each night not be a big enough audience?
I called Halo Publishing International on a whim, and asked multiple questions, but I could not afford to publish the book I envisioned that would share the proceeds with organizations feeding kids. That is when the publisher and editor, Lisa Umina--an award winning author herself. suggested crowdfunding. I signed up for Fundly right away, and the results were staggering. It seems I am not the only one who thinks 16 million kids does create a big enough audience.
With the money raised, Halo worked closely with me to provide everything and anything I needed. Lisa offered suggestions, found me an editor to tighten my text, helped me find the perfect illustrator for a book with dragons (Thank you Amy Rottinger), spent countless hours helping me understand the need for a social media platform, answered all of my questions by phone, through videos, and in email, and most of all supported me all the way. She was the perfect partner publisher.
While partner publishing might not be right for everyone, it sure was right for me. If you want to know more about the industry, read the November/December issue of Writer's Digest--or you just call Lisa Umina at Halo Publishing International. Thanks to her, I am Partner Published and Proud of it!
Yesterday, I received a rejection of sorts for a review because Oliver's Hunger Dragon didn't meet a certain standard that few "self-published" books meet. That got me started thinking. What is wrong with self-published books? I have numerous ones on my shelf and downloaded in my Nook, and I have only been disappointed by a few. For the most part, each book has been well written, and thoroughly enjoyed. Now, I know there has been a stigma attached to self-published books for a long, long time. Frankly, that line of thought needs to change, and I am happy to say it is--gradually, anyway.
Today, I opened my latest issue of Writer's Digest and found an article on Partner Publishing. The article defines it as "a publishing option that blends the creative control of self-pub with the quality, curation and distribution of the traditional path". Or, simply put, it is self-publishing with a company that offers editorial support, design, marketing, and collaboration so the author can publish a quality book while controlling the creativeness.
The article points out that a partner publisher will also help the author develop a crowdfunding effort to raise the money to create the book he/she wants.
Well while my publisher is not listed as one of the "most prominent players in this new publishing arena", it is one of the best in my opinion. I was lucky to have found them (Thank you Beth!).
I tried to go the traditional way at first, but by the third rejection that listed the reason for not publishing my PB as "not a big enough audience", I was disgusted. How can almost 16 million kids going to bed hungry each night not be a big enough audience?
I called Halo Publishing International on a whim, and asked multiple questions, but I could not afford to publish the book I envisioned that would share the proceeds with organizations feeding kids. That is when the publisher and editor, Lisa Umina--an award winning author herself. suggested crowdfunding. I signed up for Fundly right away, and the results were staggering. It seems I am not the only one who thinks 16 million kids does create a big enough audience.
With the money raised, Halo worked closely with me to provide everything and anything I needed. Lisa offered suggestions, found me an editor to tighten my text, helped me find the perfect illustrator for a book with dragons (Thank you Amy Rottinger), spent countless hours helping me understand the need for a social media platform, answered all of my questions by phone, through videos, and in email, and most of all supported me all the way. She was the perfect partner publisher.
While partner publishing might not be right for everyone, it sure was right for me. If you want to know more about the industry, read the November/December issue of Writer's Digest--or you just call Lisa Umina at Halo Publishing International. Thanks to her, I am Partner Published and Proud of it!
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